Controlling apparatus for railway vehicles or trains.



No. 792,531. PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905. A. M. MATI'IOE.

I CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES 0R TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6, 1903.

WITNESSES. INVENTOH ATTORNEY.

Patented June 13, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ASA M. MATTICE, OF PITTSBURG,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES OR TRAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,531, dated June 13, 1905.

Application filed February 6,1903. Serial No. 142,239.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, AsA M. MATTIoE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Controlling Apparatus for Railway Vehicles or Trains, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to controlling apparatus for railway vehicles or trains, and more especially to the braking apparatus constituting a part of the controlling system.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby the manually-operated device for setting and releasing the brakes shall be automatically moved to full or emergency braking position when released from manual control either by reason of carelessness of the engineer or motorman or by reason of his disability through accident or otherwise.

In controlling apparatus for electricallypropelled railway-trains in which all the controllers of the train are governed to operate in synchronism by means of a single governing-switchas set forth, for example, in Patent No. 624,277, granted to George Westinghouse May 2, 1899, and in Patents Nos. 682,828 and 684,609, granted to E. R. Hill September 17, 1901, and October 15, 1901, respectivelyprovision' is made whereby the governing-switch is returned to zero or off position when released from manual control, thereby insuring the opening of the powercircuit and the return of the motor-controlling drums to zero or off position. The latter provision insures the withdrawal of power in case of accident to the motorman; but it does not provide means for overcoming the speed which is acquired prior to the cutting off of the power. It is the function of my invention to provide for the automatic application of the brakes in such cases.

My invention is illustrated and will be hereinafter described as applied to the engineers valve of an air-brake system; but it is not intended by such illustration and description to so restrict the invention that it may not include systems in which other forms of brakes are used.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, the single figure thereof is a view, partially in side elevation and partially in section, of an engineers brake-valve provided with my improvement.

As here shown, the engineers valve 1 is provided with an operating-handle 2, having a latch 3, which is movable against the action of a spring 3 to seat its inner end 4 in one of a plurality of notches 5 in the edge of a cap 6, these notches being so located as to correspond to the various operating positions of the valve. The moving parts of the valve (not shown) are mounted in the usual manner upon a stud or shaft 7, to which the handle 2 is rigidly fastened, and the handle is connected, by means of a coiled spring 8, to the cap 6 of the valve-casing or to some other stationary part in such manner that when the handle is released it will be returned by the spring to full or emergency braking position, the latch end 4 being thrown out of any notch in which it may be located by means of the spring 3. The movement of the valve to its full or emergency braking position by the spring 8 serves to vent the train-pipe, and the reduction in pressure thus effected operates in the usual manner through well-known apparatus to set the brakes. The return of the brake-handle 2 by the motorman to brakereleasing position serves in the usual manner to release the brakes.

The governing-switch for the motor-controllers may be located adjacent to the engineers valve 1, so that the motorman may conveniently hold the valve in brake-releasing position While manipulating the governingswitch, except when it is desired to apply the brakes, when application of the brakes may be made to any degree desired by merely controlling the action of the spring 8, and in case the motorman is disabled or through carelessness releases the controlling apparatus the powercircuit will be automatically opened and the brakes applied, and hence no accident to the apparatus or passengers can occur.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a braking system for vehicles or trains, a brake governing valve provided with a spring which moves it to brake-setting position when released from manual control.

2. An engineers valve for air-brake systems that is manually movable to brake-releasing position and having a spring that moves it to emergency-braking position When released from manual control.

3. In a braking system for vehicles or trains, an engineers valve adapted for manual operation to any desired position and having a latching device, a spring for Withdrawing said device and a spring for throwing the valve to emergency-braking position when the operating-handle is released.

4:. In railway apparatus, an air-brake valve having a spring mechanically connected thereto and which constantly acts upon said. valve in opposition to the hand of the motorman to cause the brakes to go on should the motormans hand cease to control the handle of said valve.

5. In air-brake apparatus, an engineers or motormans air-brake valve having a mechanical device Which constantly acts upon said valve, in opposition to the hand of the engineer or motorinan, to cause the brakes to set or go on.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 3d day of February, 1903.

ASA Ml MATIICE.

Witnesses:

JAMES B. YOUNG, BIRNEY Hines. 

